Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026
08:05
A Prediction Error-driven Retrieval Procedure for Destabilizing and Rewriting Maladaptive Reward Memories in Hazardous Drinkers
Published on: January 5, 2018
Spontaneous recovery and ABC renewal from retroactive cue interference
Gonzalo Miguez1, Henry X Cham, Ralph R Miller
1Department of Psychology, State University of New York - Binghamton, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA.
Learning & Behavior
|September 2, 2011
Summary
Spontaneous recovery and renewal effects, typically seen in outcome interference, also occur in cue interference. These findings suggest similar learning mechanisms may underlie both types of interference.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral neuroscience
- Learning and memory
- Animal behavior
Background:
- Retroactive interference occurs when new learning impairs recall of previously learned information.
- Spontaneous recovery and renewal are phenomena where previously learned responses reappear after a period of extinction.
- These effects are well-documented in retroactive outcome interference but less understood in retroactive cue interference.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if spontaneous recovery and renewal effects manifest in retroactive cue interference.
- To explore the parallels between cue interference and outcome interference in animal learning models.
- To examine the role of associative mechanisms in both cue and outcome interference.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments using conditioned suppression paradigms in rats.
- Experiment 1: Assessed recovery from cue interference after a long delay between interfering and testing phases.
- Experiment 2: Examined recovery from cue interference using a context-shift procedure (ABC renewal).
Main Results:
- A long delay between phases led to recovery from cue interference, mirroring spontaneous recovery.
- Testing in a different context after training in separate contexts also produced recovery, analogous to ABC renewal.
- Both delayed testing and context shifts enhanced responding to the target cue.
Conclusions:
- Spontaneous recovery and renewal phenomena are not limited to outcome interference but extend to cue interference.
- The findings suggest that similar associative learning mechanisms may underpin both cue and outcome interference.
- This research provides a unified perspective on interference effects in associative learning.
Related Concept Videos
01:16Interference and Decay
Forgetting is a complex cognitive phenomenon influenced by several factors, among which interference and decay are particularly prominent. These processes explain why individuals often struggle to retrieve specific information from memory, leading to lapses in recall that can be observed in everyday situations.
Interference occurs when competing memories hinder the retrieval of particular information. It can be classified into two types: proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive...
Interference occurs when competing memories hinder the retrieval of particular information. It can be classified into two types: proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive...
01:12Retrieval
Retrieval is the process of getting information out of memory storage and back into conscious awareness. This ability is essential for daily tasks like brushing hair and teeth, driving to work, and performing job duties. Retrieval occurs in three ways: recall, recognition, and relearning.
Recall involves accessing information without cues, such as during an essay test, where individuals must retrieve facts and concepts from memory unaided. Another example is remembering the name of a colleague...
Recall involves accessing information without cues, such as during an essay test, where individuals must retrieve facts and concepts from memory unaided. Another example is remembering the name of a colleague...
01:23Principles of Classical Conditioning
Classical conditioning, as described by Ivan Pavlov, is a foundational concept in associative learning, where a neutral stimulus becomes capable of eliciting a conditioned response through association with an unconditioned stimulus. The process of acquisition, where this learning occurs, and the subsequent phenomena of contiguity, contingency, generalization, discrimination, extinction, and spontaneous recovery are crucial for a comprehensive understanding of classical conditioning.
During the...
During the...
01:15Real-World Application of Classical Conditioning
Classical conditioning not only includes the initial pairing of stimuli but also extends to more complex forms, such as higher-order conditioning. Higher-order conditioning involves creating associations beyond the primary conditioned stimulus, resulting in a chain of conditioned responses.
Higher-order, or second-order, conditioning occurs when a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an already established conditioned stimulus through repeated pairings. For instance, if a dog has been...
Higher-order, or second-order, conditioning occurs when a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an already established conditioned stimulus through repeated pairings. For instance, if a dog has been...
01:17Classification of Illness
The meaning of illness is individualized to each person who experiences an alteration in health. In contrast, disease is a medical term indicating a pathological change in the structure and function of the body or mind. It is a condition that has specific symptoms and boundaries.
An illness is a response to a disease in which the person's level of functioning is changed compared with a previous level. The general classification of illness includes acute and chronic.
Acute illness is severe and...
An illness is a response to a disease in which the person's level of functioning is changed compared with a previous level. The general classification of illness includes acute and chronic.
Acute illness is severe and...
01:23Immunological Memory
Immunological memory, a pivotal pillar of the adaptive immune system, is responsible for the body's ability to remember and respond more swiftly and effectively to previously encountered pathogens. This remarkable feature is what makes vaccines so effective in preventing diseases.
What is Immunological Memory?
Immunological memory is an integral function of the immune system that allows it to recognize and react more rapidly and effectively to pathogens previously encountered. This feature is...
What is Immunological Memory?
Immunological memory is an integral function of the immune system that allows it to recognize and react more rapidly and effectively to pathogens previously encountered. This feature is...